Last Updated on August 20, 2019 by Candy Wafford
I try and share what travelers should do, but sometimes we need to be reminded of what not to do. It occurred to me that there are bad traveling habits I’ve fallen into that I need to break ASAP. Below are ten bad travel habits I intend to stop doing and what I’m planning on doing instead.
Saying “I Should Have”
Travel shouldn’t be about regrets. But I often find myself saying “I should have done this” after a trip and I don’t want to do that anymore. Like that time I didn’t jump off the cliff into the river in North Carolina.
Instead, the focus should be on what you did and not what you didn’t. I believe that we should learn from mistakes but shouldn’t obsess over what was missed. Regret rarely leads to anything positive. If you really want to return to a place or an activity, you can. I’m going to appreciate my experiences, respect my decisions, and be content with what I did and not what I think I should have done.
Visiting Must-Sees
A travel writer’s bread and butter are writing about must-sees and must-dos. Some must-sees are must-see for a reason but it’s completely subjective. There are some must-sees that I’ve visited and come away completely disappointed.
Popular destinations are often crowded and their popularity may be for reasons that don’t appeal to you. My years of traveling have shown me that I’m not going to enjoy fighting people to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and my time will be better spent at a less popular attraction.
I was told a trip to Florence, Italy must include a visit to the Uffizi Gallery. I love art museums but I find medieval and some Renaissance art to be depressing. A big part of a valuable day in stunning Florence was spent standing in line and then moving from room to room as quickly as possible. The only reason I was there was that I felt like I must see it.
Planning Too Much
I’m a planner and a list-maker. I try not to plan every hour of a trip and leave room for wandering (my favorite part of travel) but am often guilty of trying to cram too much in a day.
A recent example was in Sintra, Portugal. I planned our day to include visits to Pena Palace, the Moors Castle, and Quinta da Regaleria. But I didn’t anticipate the amount of walking and specifically walking on hills at Pena Palace and the Moors Castle. By the time we made it to Quinta da Regaleria, we were hot and tired. But we stuck to the plan and walked there, stood in line, and then promptly got lost and couldn’t find the main thing I wanted to see. We saw some cool stuff, but we were so tired we didn’t really appreciate it. A better plan would have been to scrape that site or allowed for a longer, more leisurely lunch to rest our tired feet and then visited later.
Not Planning Enough
On the other side of the coin is not making enough plans or doing adequate research. I don’t understand visiting a place without doing any research. And while I tend to plan too much, I have been guilty of not doing enough planning when traveling.
A must-see when visiting Paris is Chateau de Versailles. I researched how to get their, the best time, and how to buy a ticket. But I didn’t research enough to know that having bought a ticket beforehand would have allowed us to wait in a much shorter line. We spent over half a day in Paris standing outside and then being pushed through the Palace with thousands of other tourists. More planning would have saved us time and frustration.
Trying to See / Do Too Much
Another bad travel habit is trying to see or do too much on a trip. My family likes to see a lot in a short amount of time which is one reason we take a lot of cruises and see as much of a country in a week as possible.
But recent week-long trips to Paris and Lisbon have found us staying in one spot for a longer period of time which I really enjoy. My favorite thing about traveling is experiencing a different way of life from my everyday reality. Taking the time to just be in one area has led to a deeper appreciation for the places we visit and richer travel experiences.
Packing Too Much
I’m a pretty good packer but still, find that I often have clothes that I don’t wear. The solution? Creating a capsule wardrobe for a trip. The rules? Every clothing item must go with at least two other items. Which means that super cute green dress may not make the cut because it requires a different pair of shoes. I find it’s those last-minute additions that could have been left behind.
Using packing tools also helps keep you organized. I’m going to start being brutal when packing because it’s so much easier to travel with less. Am I really going to use a blowdryer on my thick, curly hair if I’m going somewhere hot and humid?
Not Journaling Enough
I’ve almost always kept a journal when traveling. I find it’s a great way for me to wind down and reflect on my adventures at the end of each day. I also find that having a travel journal has helped me when documenting my travels in a scrapbook or here on this blog But, there have been a few trips lately where I haven’t kept a hand-written journal and I miss it.
My journal will be with me on all future trips!
Worrying About Spending Too Much
Travel is expensive. Even using my favorite ways to save money it still is an investment. And travel is an investment that I wholeheartedly believe in.
But we tend to be kind of cheap, and in our frugality, I think our family has often created undue stress and missed out on some things by worrying over every penny. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that you shouldn’t go crazy with a who-cares-how-much-it-costs mentality, but maybe order what you really want to eat or take a cab every once in a while.
Not Knowing the Exchange Rate
I always check the exchange rate before I go to a country, but I don’t always know it. You would think I would include it in the detailed itinerary I create for each trip and usually have with me. Or at least add it to my phone. Why does it matter? Not knowing the exchange rate means I have no idea what I’m actually paying for anything.
We spent a day in Copenhagen before a cruise and the exchange rate between the Danish Kroner and USD was too much for our jet-lagged brains to calculate. Now we are not big spenders when we travel (see worrying about spending too much above) but we do like to eat and occasionally buy something. Which spent money but had no idea what we were paying for anything. Neglecting to do any type of calculation feels irresponsible and a habit I need to break on future trips.
Not Taking Enough Pictures
I feel like I take pictures nonstop when traveling, but I when I get home I have like three pictures from a weeklong trip. I’m exaggerating, but only a little. I believe that the experience and the memories from that experience are far more important than pictures. But it’s nice to have photos to share and to look at on long days at home when you need a little visual inspiration to get you through the day.
Are you guilty of any of these bad travel habits?
Sage Scott
August 21, 2019These are really great tips! Even as an experienced international traveler, I made an exchange rate faux pas. I was on my fifth country (and fifth currency) in a week and beyond jet lagged when I incorrectly applied the last country’s exchange rate to tip my taxi driver in Budapest. When his face lit up like he won the lottery, I went back through my mental math and realized I’d paid him FIVE TIMES what I’d intended. Lesson learned. I now prepare plastic snack size ziploc bags pre-trip with the exchange rate written in Sharpie.
Candy
August 21, 2019Oh no! I’m terrible at math anytime and trying to do it when jet-lagged it’s even worse! I like your tip about the plastic baggie.
Megan
August 21, 2019I agree. I always struggle with worrying about spending too much on holiday and still being able to do all the things I want to do. Most likely we will only go once and we have to force ourselves to spend to make the money so we don’t regret it later.
Candy
August 21, 2019I’m always working on finding the balance between enjoying ourselves and not spending too much money.
Kelly
August 21, 2019I certainly agree with you on the must sees. Ive found most times they are expensive, very crowded and underwelming. Id much rather spend the time at a off the beaten path restaurant hanging out with the locals or exploring the destination and surrounding areas
Candy
August 21, 2019I prefer the off the beaten path destinations too!
Andi
August 22, 2019These are great tips for travelers of all levels! All the things I have done and not done over many decades of traveling! I think travel is trial and error and you eventually find the rhythm that works for you.
Candy
August 23, 2019I agree about the trial and error! And I think the way we travel evolves over time too.
Amy
August 24, 2019Really appreciated this article. I ALWAYS try to do too much and come home exhausted!
And I have a hard time staying away from Must-Sees even if I know they won’t interest me. But sometimes it works out well. I visited the FDR memorial in Washington because it was a must-see, and was surprised by how moved I was by the quotes displayed.
Candy
August 24, 2019That’s so funny! I planned on visiting the FDR Memorial on a recent trip to DC because it seemed really interesting. And I couldn’t figure out where to park and missed it! Which is bad habit – not planning enough!
Alma
August 24, 2019Great advice! It’s often so easy to over plan, or try to do too much and if you’re exhausted, you don’t appreciate the sites you really want to see. I’m glad you pointed out that one should focus on the things you’ve done, not regret about those you haven’t. That is something I often do!
Candy
August 24, 2019Hi Alma! I do try and focus on what I’ve seen and not what I may have missed. And we can always go back!
Lesley
August 24, 2019These are great tips, Candy! I’m so guilty of some of them too, especially over planning and not taking enough photos. I’m also promising myself that I’ll journal more during my next trip. Thanks for the reminders!
Candy
August 24, 2019Thank you! Journaling really adds to the experience for me. I find it’s easy to skip when sharing my travels on social media, but those posts don’t make up for taking the time to document the experience in a personal way.
Stephanie
August 24, 2019Wahhhh I’m guilty of so many of these. As I embark on my son’s first international trip, I’m really glad I came across this post. It’s a great reminder to re-think the way I travel. I’m totally the person who over-plans and has to see everything and sometimes gets angry if I don’t. Is it worth it? No. You bring up a good point that some must see places are totally over-rated anyway, and I don’t have to see EVERYTHING to have had a legitimate travel experience. A really great read especially considering my push to be more mindful in my day to day life. Thanks.
Candy
August 25, 2019Thank you so much for your kind comments! Travel is a balance between our expectations and our experiences. The best trips for me are those that I let myself simply enjoy the experience and leave the expectations at home!
Ruth Murdoch
August 26, 2019Some fabulous tips here and lots for me to keep mindful of. What a great blog, thanks for sharing. I agree re the Mona Lisa, the first time was disappointing and the second time wasn’t much better. We also like to travel slowly and have the luxury of time as we are full time travellers. So you’d think we plan lots. Being complacent is something I’m guilty of. I need to do more planning.
Candy
August 26, 2019Thank you! I would love to have the luxury of traveling slowly and being able to plan less. Hoping to get there someday!
Pubali
August 27, 2019Nice round-up. I like the first tip the best – we should never have regrets about our travels, no matter what.
Candy
August 28, 2019I agree!